https://youtu.be/uyNc1lKK3fE?t=23m7s
Notes for a Homily on the Publican and the Pharisee
(St. Luke 18:9-14)
What was the purpose of this parable? Best to look at the context. In this case it isn’t hard. Here is the sentence right before the parable, in which St. Luke gives the context and purpose of Jesus’ words:
“And Jesus spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:”
(St. Luke 18:9; note that this is NOT included in our lectionary).
Have you ever seen people like this? (examples, to include “Islamic Extremists” who are so convinced with their own righteousness and the sins of others that will saw of the heads of others while singing prayers to their god!). Thank God that we do not have many such Muslims in our country, but we do have plenty of self-righteous and judgmental people in our midst.
- Orthodox fundamentalists (RELIGION WITHOUT SPIRITUALITY)
- But also true of those who are “SPIRITUAL WITHOUT BEING RELIGIOUS”. Explain.
This parable does NOT compare people who take religious rules seriously with those who don’t
- They BOTH came to the temple to pray!!!
- It’s NOT about “religion” vs. “spirituality”
- It’s not even about the “letter of the law” vs. the “spirit of the law”
It’s about the need WE ALL HAVE for repentance (the psychology of self-righteousness and judgmental is part of our fallen constitution – it is completely pervasive; not just among fundamentalists and self-confessing spiritual egoists).
- Repentance is the beginning of any and all healthy “spirituality”; skipping it turns us into demons rather than gods
- The Orthodox religion contains a powerful set of tools to change people; but without repentance… the transition will be into monsters rather than saints
I don’t know what brought the Publican to tears.
- I do know what brings me to tears
- I do know what should bring every human being on this broken world to tears
- We are all broken and in need of God’s mercy and salvation
Receiving that mercy? Begins with tears and ends with the healing of all sorrow, the watering of every desert, the righting of all wrongs, and an eternity of movement not from one disaster to the next, but from glory to glory… forever.
